Louisville-Connecticut Preview: Cards Look To Send Winningest Senior Class Out In Style

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (25-5, 14-3) vs. CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (24-6, 12-5)

Game Time: 2:06 p.m.

Location: KFC Yum Center: Louisville, Ky.

Television: CBS

Announcers: Verne Lundquist (play-by-play) and Bill Raftery (analyst)

Favorite: Louisville by 9.5

Officials: Joe DeRosa, Tom Eades and Mike Sanzere

All-Time Series: Louisville leads 9-6

Last Meeting: Louisville won 76-64 on Jan. 18 in Storrs

Series History:

Probable Starting Lineups:

Statistics:

Relevant Video:

Always relevant.

About UConn:

The Huskies, who have won three straight and seven of eight, are coming off a 69-63 victory over Rutgers on Wednesday. They head into the final game of the regular season in a tie for third place in the AAC with SMU, but lost both games to the Mustangs.

AAC Player of the Year candidate Shabazz Napier leads the team in scoring (18.1), rebounding (5.9), assists (5.3), and steals (1.9). Napier needs just two points to catch Kemba Walker and move into seventh place on the school's all-time scoring list. His four assists on Wednesday put him nine behind coach Kevin Ollie for third place. Ryan Boatright (12.1) and DeAndre Daniels (12.1) also average double figures for UConn.

Notable:

--Louisville will be bidding farewell to seniors Russ Smith, Stephan Van Treese, Tim Henderson and Luke Hancock. Fans are asked to be in their seats by 1:40, at which time the senior day ceremonies will begin.

--Saturday's game has also been dubbed a "Red Out," and Cadinal fans attending are asked to wear red.

--Having won 115 games since the start of the 2010-11 season, this group of seniors represents the winningest class in the history of Louisville basketball.

--A win by Louisville on Saturday will guarantee the Cardinals at least a share of the American Athletic Association's regular season title. If U of L wins and Cincinnati loses to Rutgers, the Cards will win the title outright.

--Connecticut is 6-3 in true road games this season, and 4-2 against ranked opponents.

--Louisville's Stephan Van Treese is the last Cardinal player to play in Freedom Hall.

--Louisville has won 14 of its last 15 games on Senior Day. The Cards' lone loss over that span is a 2012 loss to South Florida.

--UConn owns an 86-44 (.662) record all-time in games televised by CBS. The Huskies went 5-0 in CBS games during the 2010-11 national championship season and 0-2 on CBS during 2011-12. UConn's last game on CBS was an 85-67 loss at Syracuse on Feb. 11, 2012.

--Louisville is 2-0 against Connecticut inside the KFC Yum Center.

--UConn's Sahabazz Napier needs two points to catch Kemba Walker and move into seventh place on the school's all-time scoring list, and nine assists to move past coach Kevin Ollie for third place on the school's all-time assists list.

--Russ Smith is 61 points away from cracking the top five of Louisville's all-time scoring list.

--Rick Pitino is 13-11 all-time against Connecticut.

--Louisville is second in the nation in turnover margin (+6.8) and is 25th in fewest turnovers per game (10.4). U of L has committed 10 or fewer turnovers in 20 of its last 33 games dating back to last year. The Cardinals are generating an average of 21.7 points per game off turnovers.

--Louisville is favored in tonight's game for a program-record 42nd straight time. The Cards have not been an underdog since playing at Syracuse on March 2, 2013. All told, U of L has been the favorite in 70 of their last 71 games.

--Louisville's 25-5 start is the second best of the Rick Pitino era and the same record last season's national championship team had through 30 games.

--Louisville is the defending Division-I national champion.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Louisville 72, Connecticut 63